Hibernians, Valletta fight for remaining FA Trophy semi-final spot

Just four days after the Championship Decider which handed Valletta the title in a nail-biting finale, Hibernians and Valletta will be facing each other once again on Wednesday in the quarter-finals of the FA Trophy at the National Stadium, kick-off at 18:30.

A clash with Gzira United in the semi-finals awaits the winner. The other semi-final is Balzan vs Birkirkara.

After winning the championship and the BOV Super Cup earlier this season, Valletta seek a second consecutive double. Hibernians, on the other hand, hope to end the season on a positive note.

Both sides will be unable to field their best formation as Valletta could not count on Joseph Zerafa while Andrei Agius and Isaac Ntow are ruled out through suspension for Hibernians.

The Paolites reached this stage after defeating Qormi 5-1 and Fgura United 4-0. The Citizens, on the other hand, beat Marsa 3-0 and Lija Athletic 7-1.

In the BOV Premier League, Hibernians defeated Valletta 2-1 in the first round but the second round clash ended in a 2-1 win for the Citizens. The Championship Decider ended in a 4-2 win on penalties following a 2-2 draw at the end of extra-time.

Traffic and crowd management arrangements for Hibs-Valletta match

The Malta Football Association, in collaboration with the Police, would like to communicate the following traffic and crowd management arrangements for the 2018/19 FA Trophy quarter-final match between Hibernians and Valletta:

Gates open at 17.15 and the stand allocations are as follows:

Hibernians – West A

Valletta – West C & Millennium D

Nursery and Family Stand – Millennium F

Match tickets purchased from the two clubs before the original date of this FA Trophy quarter-final, which was rescheduled on February 24 due to the inclement weather, are VALIDfor Wednesday’s match.

The supporters of Hibernians as well as neutral fans are to park their vehicles in the West Stand car park (enclosure) and the adjacent road leading to Durumblat Street. They are also advised to make their way to the National Stadium from the Mosta area (Durumblat).

Valletta fans are to park their vehicles in the Millennium Stand area. They are advised to pass through Attard in the direction of St Catherine’s Home in Pitkali Road and on to the BOV Adventure Park and the MFCC/Millennium Stand zone.

Coaches carrying Valletta fans have allocated parking behind the South Stand, facing the MFA Gym so as to exit from the Żebbuġ area.

The road leading from the Mtarfa roundabout near the Military Cemetery to the Basketball Complex and Millennium Stand will be closed for inbound traffic. Valletta fans can park their vehicles along this road which will be open for outbound traffic at the end of the match.

At the end of the match, the spectators seated in the West C sector are to exit the stadium from the Millennium D gate.

The Malta FA urges the general public to follow the instructions given by the stadium staff, security personnel and police officers on matchday.